For those that think this is commercial... these are the products we found helpful for camping in the winter. We are not paid from these companies. You CAN winter camp without buying products, but it will not likely resemble a normal RVing experience. i.e. Water turned off or covering the windows is not how we enjoy living in our RV. These products help us live as normal as possible. For those that travel like us and are not appose buying products to make your experience easier, we hope you found this helpful.
Don't even worry about what negative people say. Your Vlogs are AWESOME and have given me a ton of helpful information. The Tech makes it even better. You rock, keep it up!!
There are often different kits for high altitude propane burning operation, at least for residential appliances (thinner air requires different air-gas ratios). Not sure about RV gear, but maybe something to look into for maximum fuel efficiency when staying in the mountains.
As a tip what we have done is screw plastic closet rosettes in our shower so we can put a removable wood dowel in like a closet. When you come in with wet jackets or clothes we hang them in there so when they drip water its in the shower instead of on your floor. When your done drying we remove the pole and store it in one of the closets. You can also trapeze 2 or 3 poles with 550 cord to increase the hanging capacity. One other thing is the all thread rod for your propane tanks is 1/2 inch especially with the taller 7 gallon tanks.
@@KeepYourDaydream If your rig has heat ducting in the bathroom it should act like one big boot dryer. So remember to keep the bathroom door closed ;-)
Another good tip to keep the water supply from freezing just let the water on the cold side trickle just a little bit inside and that will help. I have been camping in 0 degrees f with no heat tape or anything and never had any problems. Just wanted to give my tip.
I have been using Pirit heated hoses on my rigs since 2011 and they have performed beautifully through snowmageddon, ice ice baby, temps below freezing sustained 24 hours a day for more than a week at a time and lots and lots of cold. They have never let me down or leaked. Highly recommend. 2 tips for Pirit hoses...1). Make sure the sensor is outside, not inside of the rig or skirting and 2). Don't let it coil onto itself. I use a small piece of foam pipe insulation if there's a spot where it coils back on itself to keep it from touching which can throw the heating off in the hose. Had the same hose since 2011 and still working perfectly this winter. :)
Here's the toip everyone needs to know. I took out my furnace and heat my 37 camio with a diesel furnace. 130 degrees at the vents and 2/3 cheaper than propane.i was blowing threw a 30 pound tank is 3 days. No more. Diesel furnace is no smell no noise. When it hits 25 below...the diesel warms the coach well.
My wife and I are great fans of your videos and you have helped us decide to hit the road. We are putting the house up for sale soon. Thanks so much for the great content.
Make a back-up plan for a power failure. You have a gen but can it run everything? For how long? If you lose power for a few days you will need to dump your fresh water tank and hot water heater before the access points freeze. If you can not dump your grey/black tank, add salt(lots of salt - mixed into solution) into each tank. Looks like a great time. Enjoy yourselves.
Most anywhere you go "can" freeze but in North Louisiana we are able to survive in an RV without many problems. I have my water hose insulated with foam pipe insulation and all that is fully enclosed in PVC to protect it from the elements. I ran an extra extension cord from the breaker as well. I can run three electric heaters with no problems. Great tips. Thanks for sharing.
Great stuff!! Thanks for the info. One thing you might consider is adding something between your new slide out awning and the slide itself. Some folks have done DIY stuff with PVC pipe/elbows. The idea is to add a bit of an lift to the slide-topper so water runs off vs. pooling. Will also keep heavy snow from stretching you topper cover (go ahead...don't ask me WHY I know this Dooh!!!) Last bit of advice...when you leave and are bringing in the slide out, make sure ALL the snow off the top of your slides. The toppers help keep snow/ice off, but ice will slide right passed your rubber seals, that normally wipe water away. Then the ice melts during travel...and you have a big ole mess inside the RV (again...don't ask me WHY I know this either. :) )
By BL- We are actually thinking of put something like flaps on the slide awning to keep rain from blowing under the awning. Kinda funny (not) we had a small amount of water on the floor after we had the awning installed. With slide in or out, didn't leak before.
If you spend a lot of time in colder climates then 12v electric tank heaters/pads are worth the upgrade. You can turn them on at your panel and you don't need to use your furnace and propane as much and also have your fire place or electric heater inside to also save propane. I know in Rockwood's the elbows on your back and gray tanks are heated as well. They are rated to -11 degrees.great video, all your videos are very informative about a product or the place you are at. Can't wait for next weekend's post.
Every winter we go on a winter adventure up in the wilds of northern ontario up near Lake Superior. We sled everything in and live in canvas tents with stoves in them. Our favorite spot is Lake Kagiano which is a1.5 hour drive from Manitouwadge on logging roads then a 4 hour sled trip in to the lake. We have a landing made at the dam and that's where we camp. The secret to winter camping is to stay dry and dont over dress so you sweat,as that is when you can get cold. We have a Bonfire burning 24/7 for a week. We cook all our food on the fire and even have a outdoor oven made out of brick for making home made bread and biscuits.The fishing is awesome fresh pickerel every day. Our one rule is ,,,NO CELL PHONES! We let the Ministry and OPP know where we are for safety reasons.We do have one phone but it is used for emergency only! On our trip last year there was a pack of timber wolves eyeing us when we were ice fishing.The stars at night are unbelievable and in Feb we see the Northern lights dance across the sky...it's awesome...HAPPY CAMPING EVERYONE! I Had to edit for spelling mistakes...lol
After a week of winter camping boondocking, dry camping on the Grand Mesa National Forest in Colorado. Temperatures were from 0-40s in the days, altitude was 1000 feet. One thing people do not realize when the sun goes down the thin air gets colder quickly. A few tips I found were to isolate and turn off outdoor faucet to avoid freeze up. I was even able to add more insulation behind the shower wall to help prevent freeze up. We learned to open our faucets with the pump off to prevent water line freeze up. we had one hotwater line freeze on us. we had to run the generator all night to supply power the furnace. We were warm and very comfortable for the week. Of course our camper (not going into brands) is winter rated, has the ducted holding tank heater, in floor heat an vent covers. We also would open the bathroom door and bathroom sink cabinets to allow for warm air.
Pretty cold where you are, Brrrrrrrr. The one thing that I would do differently is use the potable water system, using the furnace will keep the area around your tanks from freezing. If the trailer is fitted with good protection for the tanks underneath then use that for your water supply. Next keep the waste tank valves open and don’t close them as they will freeze in that kind of temperature and you dont want a split waste tank. Just make sure you use abit more water in flushing the solids from the black tank, Provided that you dont have a long discharge pipe between the tank and waste valve. The Trailer I live in is a 1988 Prowler Regal and I live in it full time 365 days .
I would advise people that are looking at buying an RV and plan to winter camp, to buy an RV with the winter package. This is different from different companies, but should include better insulation, and at a minimum the tanks being up and covered with insulation. It may also include all the water lines being run next to the heating vents to keep them from freezing. We have a Keystone that has the winter package, it also includes a 30K BTU heater. We have done just fine with it. Only one time had our water freeze and it was because we left and forgot to check the propane and it ran out. Whoops. It only took about 30 min and we were back in action. We also use the water supply hose that is heated, not the heat tape. Works great, love it. We also do not use any electric heat, propane only and we have a 100lb tank that I go get filled and 4 20lb tanks for back ups. We also do not have skirts, but if the winter was going to last any longer, we would get them.
My trailer has a decal the reads "Extreme Thermal Package". I had to drop the belly to access the plumbing due to a leak and I saw no insulation at all. The belly was just corrugated plastic 1/8" thick. none of the sewer or water lines had any insulation on them at all. My 5th wheel trailer is a Crusader by Forest River. I think they are mis-representing their product unless somehow my particular trailer was built on a Friday afternoon. Forest River Please Respond!
I don't know about your trailer but we added spray foam insulation to a lot of places on ours and sprayfoamed the tanks. Skirting is a must and I am going to look at the EZ Snap RV Skirt they used since my home made system isn't nearly as easy to set up. My biggest concern is that it stays flexible at -20C (-5F) so we can take it down and store it without having to warm it up. -20 is about the lowest we will go RVing. Anything colder and it's too hard on the trailer.
Our new Cherokee Atric Wolf has the plumbing enclosed in a compartment that gets heat from the rig's heater so no skirt for us. We have the full Extreme Cold package on it.
Thanks, for the video! You provided some excellent advice! Subscribed! My partner and I are working towards full-time RVing and one idea I had to address the need for heat in storage compartments and utility bays is reptile tank heat mats. They typically come with a thermostat and are available in sizes ranging from 5 watts to over 100 watts. I think these would be ideal to position in compartments like the one you used the 40 watt light bulb. The mats are going to evenly distribute the heat better than a simple light bulb that might be hot enough to melt something. And, it will lay flat, so it takes up very little room, meaning it can stay in there all the time and you just plug it in or turn it on, if it's on a switch, whenever you need it. I intend to use these mats under our lithium batteries that should never be charged below freezing. I also had the idea of installing an aquarium heater in our fresh water tank and our gray water tank to keep them above freezing. They're going to draw little power, are thermostatically controlled, and designed to be immersed in water indefinitely. Let me know what you think of these ideas - because, we have NO experience, yet!
I'm not going to have the money to do all that maybe after I get working I will but people around here in the RV park where I live put wood around theirs I actually thought I would do one better I'm going to take the wood that I buy to put around my camper cuz I'm going to be staying here for the winter the whole winter and I'm going to staple cardboard on inside of the wood to act as extra insulation and then before I actually put the wood up against my camper I'm going to wrap tarp around it for even more insulation mind you it won't be as pretty as what yours is but since I'm still working and not retired and don't have extra income coming in and my partner passed away 2 years ago I am going to be doing a lot of this by myself but I love your ideas
Should use a 90 degree hose connector when using the Camco heated water hose. You can purchase one at Wal-Mart. Otherwise you will put a strain on you hose connector leading into your trailer causing leaks and ice forming. I found this out last winter when I took my new trailer out in January. Also wrap heat tape around your sewer lines tho prevent the valves from freezing closed.
Your vids just keep getting better and better. Been RVing for a long time and will always be learning. Thank you for you stellar editing, explaining, and sharing. Your family's enthusiasm for life shines through each week.
Watching this the day after my enclosed lines froze at 10 degrees outside - Salem Hemisphere MB370 . . . Wish I'd seen you before the deep freeze here in NM. Trying to get the heater in to the bay to heat up the tank area - and its working! Little mini personal space heater!
I went thru the “not having water” for the past 2 days. Good thing i stocked up on bottled water. I’m new to RV life and didn’t think to insulate my hose
A couple of additional things that I learned over the years of winter camping in extreme cold. My RV has an outside shower, I stuff insulation inside the shower door, also, inside the RV it helps to keep your inside cabinet and pantry/closet doors open so warmth can get in, especially anywhere pipes run. As far as space heaters is concerned, I have found that using 4 heaters spaced throughout the camper all running on low is better than 2 heaters running on high. For my sewer hose, in the winter I run a piece of heat tape along the bottom, a hose support that has a solid bottom helps with this, then if it’s extremely cold I will also lay an insulated blanket over the top. If it is extremely cold you can cut some of that insulation board and put inside your windows. I have also cut pieces of the 2” thick insulation board and put on top of my slide, under the slide topper.
Great advice The Camco heated water hose is amazing, we just use it all year now. Keep cool water cool. Heated tape on the Park Faucet is a must. Covering the vents is clever. We lived through the TX Freeze of 2021 without the Skirt. Ordering the Skirt today! Even though we have Thermal Paine windows. I did blue painters tape the shades to the frame to prevent any infiltration loss.
We aren't traveling right now because we are renovating the camper, but it is amazing how much of a difference one space heater can make. Some of them can run off of only 700 Watts of power too.
Another great video! Please be careful with the multiple electric heaters and heat lamp plugged in at the same time. My Dad plugged in a heat lamp to keep the well motor from freezing. In the end wires were burnt, and an electical fire started quickly. When we purchased our trailer it came with a winter Canadian package. We will be purchasing chains for truck just to be safe when traveling on ice up north. Have fun in the snow, and stay warm 😊
With the way life is today, Stock Market Crash, Hurricane Katrina, Mortgage Crash, and now with Covid, i sometime casually think about having a nice small camper to live out of and not have to worry about rent or a mortgage anymore. I can't afford a camper but if i could, i would think seriously about this kind of life.
Another advantage of the fully threaded 3/8" shaft for the propane tanks is that it can be screwed down past the tongue a few inches and secured with a lock nut so the wing nut does not have to be tightened as far, plus you can drill a hole in the wing nut and the cross bar or regulator mount and use a long shaft pad lock to prevent tank theft.
Very good video guys! Got one addition for ya. Put your sewer hose in a cheap gutter from home depot etc. Add a heat strip and duck tape it. Use rocks or cinder blocks to support it at an angle and Presto. Winter sewer happiness! Also just a heat light works under rigs saving el mula, I'm sure theres more also!
We do this every winter in the ice castle fish houses: Lake of the Woods, MN at -35* many weekends on the ice, fishing. Our rigs are arctic insulated and drop to the ground. I love our space heater! Keep a hair dryer to heat up any components that don’t work outside in that weather (like jacks or diesel engines). Wheel skirts are important for normal rigs, and banking is necessary for ice houses (shoveling snow to bank the sides to seal and insulate). Organization for winter gear 👍🏼 Boot trays and absorbent rugs for tracked in snow. Shovels, heater blankets for exterior mounted propane tanks, fans to prevent windows and doors from frosting up.
By BL- saw a remark about getting an RV. If you love big bathrooms ?? Check out the Intrepid Travel Trailer 260 by Riverside Mfg. Large rear bathroom with a huge 🚿 shower. Just make sure your RV dealer really does a check for prepping the trailer. Glen who is a great RV repairman had to install 2 vents on either side of heater fireplace for air flow, add a vent for air flow for furnace, add a screw to bottom of kitchen cabinet, add a block to hold up bathroom shelf, the dining table top had to short of screws and came off, bezel in shower leaked, had to adjust refrigerator door wouldn't open all the way, tape underneath for tin door came loose, TV antenna has a hard time picking up channels for some reason by our house, but other than that it is a great trailer. Just make sure it really is checked out and get little defects fixed. The RV dealer was really good about fixing everything.
Thanks for the video! One thing important to point out is that all of the heating elements (hear tape and probe) keeping water from freezing in the doghouse are tied to the 20amp on the pedestal. Plugging in anything to the GFI on the pedestal runs serious risk of tripping that breaker and triggering a freeze up in park infrastructure. At Tiger Run you are liable for any damage to water infrastructure if you utilize the pedestal GFI.
I don't know if it has already been said, too many comments to read, but we use the Pirit heated hose and it is high quality kit. We are wintering in Grand Junction CO and have not had any issues with this line (low teens and single digits temps). The Park's supply line froze up but our system has been trouble free. As for heat tape on a regular flexible hose: that tape gets pretty hot, hot enough to release compounds from the hose into your drinking water. Be careful. You guys are awesome and I always learn something from y'all.
A benefit or problem depending on your outlook but the (probably) 20 amp breaker for the 110 volt you are using is rated for 20 amps at a set temperature around 68 or 72 degrees. Since it is zero or colder all of the heat that would normally build up and trip the breaker is dissipated by the wind and cold air. So it is very easy to get over 20 amps draw on the breaker and it does not trip. Keeping as much of your extension cord in the environment the breaker is in would be best to reduce as much heat from resistance in it. The other issue is that 110 volt is coming from the same feed as your 30 amp or off of one leg of the 50 amp and depending on how that was done you could get a low voltage situation. Glad you stayed warm. talk to people in the trailer home industry for great tips on getting your camper ready for winter they get homes ready for winter all the time.
One thing that I wanted to share about winter camping and it may not be of interest to RVers with heaters but as a Boycott growing up I loved winter camping in the snow. It is because I new haw to keep warm in sub below temperatures. Remember the number one thing to keeping warm is to keep dry. So b4 go to sleep at night you strip down and get your dry towel out and dry off your body moisture. In between your toes and where you sweat. Then you dress into your dry clothes for the next day. Your body will have a chance to keep warm with out being cooled down with your moisture.
Hi Marc, We live in the low country of South Carolina and live full time in a 30ft travel trailer . When we have cold weather I just leave the water running in the shower. All you need s a small drip, just enough to keep the line from freezing. I look forward to your videos each weekend. Keep up the good work.Wta
Living in Florida I'm the last one you should listen to on cold weather camping. But one tip I've heard of is always open your cabinet doors so the heat gets to the outer wall areas. This makes the difference I've heard from frozen water pumps and pipes many times even in Truck Campers also. Stay warm all. bill in Florida
Interesting and enjoyable video. We have stayed at Tiger Run during warmer months. It is a wonderful place to stay and very near to Breckenridge. In the interest of electrical safety, I recommend that any electrical devices that are used outside of the RV be connected to a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) protected outlet. This is especially important when the ground is wet or snow-covered. Also, many, if not most, space heater manufacturers specifically state in their user instructions not to power the heater through an extension cord. It would be extension best to power the space heater(s) from outlet(s) inside the RV. Also, the adapter that expands the number of outlets that are available at the pedestal does not increase the amount of electrical current that is available from the pedestal. The conventional/duplex outlets that are on most campground pedestals are rated at 20 Amps. If you are going to use an outlet expander and want to be able to use the full amount of electrical current, then be sure to get an outlet expander that is rated at 20 Amps. Safe travels.
Great video!! We just experienced 2 degrees in Colorado last week with our 5th wheel. Our water pump froze for 2 days....no bueno. We used space heater and fireplace for warmth to save propane at night. Dressing in layers and having proper shoes/gloves are important.
Put a couple heated walkway mats under your camper to keep the undercarriage even warmer. Put that water line with heat tape inside PCV household sewer pipe not glued just fit together.
We are new RVers. We bought our little RV in October and LOVE it! We camped Dec. 23- 27, 2019. It was warm, 50s. But that was winter camping :) We live in Central IL and were lucky to get the nice weather. When you come through IL, let us know. Weldon Springs is a great place to camp. Lots of history and fun to be had.
I have found dinky inexpensive fan space heaters to be far superior to oil radiators "ceramic" (such a gimmick) and heat dishes (danger Will Robbins!) The truth of the matter is a watt is a watt pretty much when it comes to ELECTRIC heaters. A "hairdryer style" heater circulates the heat well (duh there is a fan) radiators are nice to sit by, but the heat pretty much just goes up. The heat dish longs to start a fire and shoots laser beam heat at you. The small plastic fan heaters stow away well. Be sure to get one with a thermostat and a cut off for when you inevitably knock it over.
Try a radiator heater under the skirt. In-laws up in Alberta have to do that in the minus 30-40 C ~40F outside to thaw the water tanks and keep em thawed.
@@wyocoyotewyocoyote9007 One of the very small desk type fans sitting behind the radiator works great. It doesn't blow so hard that the air cools off but it does blow just enough to make a huge difference. Mine is about 4 or 5 inched I'd say. Very small, very quiet
The things we did with our Cougar, to stay all winter in Minnesota. ( 6 weeks of -10 to -25 ) I cut 2 access holes in the bottom, 1 at the connection of the black and grey tank, the other under the sink area. I put a 1500w heater at both location with the stat stet on the lowest setting. I then cover the entire bottom with 2" foam panels, holding them in place with ratchet straps from frame to frame. PS... In the spring we pulled out with them still in place ( to much mud and snow to remove) and did not remove them till we got to our next job, 1,200 miles away. 3rd. We did not use city water. We picked up a 40 gal tank and 110v transfer pump, from harbor freight ( apx 125.00 total including hoses and fittings.) Once a week, I would put the tank on the tail gate and fill it from the laundry room, then transfer to the rigs water tank. ( about 1.5 hrs max ) Yes, I had a filter in the transfer hose. We lost water once, the first time it went to -15, so I added a 40 watt drop light in the compartment that has the water pump. I ran both outside heaters from the park box. Most boxes only have 1 20 amp outlet, 3000w is to much, so I found an adapter to go from 30 amp to 20 amp and used to for my second heater. The park was $700.00 a mouth and included ele. The second time we did this, was last winter in western NY ( 10 to -20 ) with zero issues. That park was $500.00 for the whole winter plus ele. We stayed 5 months and paid $1,400.00 for ele. As there was water 80' away I just got 2 collapsible hoses and filled tanks in 30 mins. Both winters 70 was not a problem for inside temps.. Ele blanket for sure...LOL
Great info y'all. To me, winter camping is awesome. Much easier to get warm than to try to stay cool. It's hard to camp in the summer in Texas when it's 90 degrees at bedtime :-) Safe travels
Welcome to my world :-) as I've mentioned before my manager moved into a fifth wheel and he's been doing great. We sell heated hose and its working great. We took the heated hose and taped it to the bottom of sewer hose so it heats both. Another great thing is restless propane heaters. They sip propane and no electricity. Enjoy
Hi there, and greetings from the Carriboo up here in Canada. Well I live full time in a 29 ft Regal . A 1988 model trailer. Up here this winter we got to -42.6 Celsius. One tip for you is that Propane will be a problem as it needs warmth to boil, and in -36.6 to where we got to -42.6 you will need a way to keep your bottles abit warmer. A heat blanket that wraps around the tank called a Power blanket will be a great asset, it plugs into a standard power plug and draws only 1 amp which is equal to 120 watts. Being in that kinda cold air the regulator will need to be kept from freezing to. Another thing to take care of is the R.V batteries need to be kept out of the cold as they too will lose capacity of charge.Another thing that will stop working is your RV Fridge, - because it has a water liquid ammonia mix. in - 30 degree Celsius or colder it will stop circulating due to the water content in the cooling unit. You can help by insulating the access door and keeping as much draft out as you can...
Here's another one that I learned the hard way. Don't forget to pour some camper anti-freeze down your drains if you're going to let the interior of your rig drop below freezing.
Your videos are SO informative and helpful !! I'm planning on becoming a full-time RVer and You have answered so many questions for me and this topic was at the top of my list so THANK YOU VERY MUCH and keep up the excellent advice !
Great information. I do not think I am as brave as you two are. While I live in snow country , I do not think I want to pull a trailer through the snow and ice. Enjoy and stay safe.
Skirt the trailer with minimum 1.5" insulation panels and run a quality heater underneath the trailer. Electric space heaters will help keep the trailer warm once the furnace has finished heating. That little "fireplace" works great for this. Make sure your extension cords are 10 gauge or so, or they'll heat up and potentially cause a fire.
going winter camping for the first time and was looking for some winterizing tips and found your video. after about 10 minutes i was a subscriber. great tips i purchased some of the items showcased in the video. i feel i will be a little more prepared and my family will enjoy winter camping a little more so we can do it more often..... not only was the video useful but the comments also where great and useful also.....
Excellent video on winter dream camping. (My dream). I will definitely acquire the skirt and many other items listed here. Above all I have to super plug “Carefree of Colorado” they hit the home run out of the park for to no three old folks. Myself, my wife and our yesteryear camper. We were missing an awning arm, I lurched it online and I emailed carefree asking to rush ship it. They contacted me, cancelled my order and then shipped the part overnight to me. The error purchase I originally made with the new awning want even their responsibility yet they went the extra “many miles”. I’ll never forget that gesture and absolute product support. I can only hope that other companies and consumers can purchase from them and learn from them. As Tina once sung it; “Simply The Best”!
You're so brave!! We were at Tiger Run in August for ATV trails east of Breck. I am sure you've been told to watch the weather when you decide to go through the pass on I70 to Denver. Road conditions change so fast up there. We ski at Breck all the time. Enjoy your time. Amy
I watched this a few years ago, before I got my RV. Now, I just got moved in and its the dead of winter. It's one thing watching the video, and another thing when you actually get to do it. Thank you for this great winter guide. :)
An oil filled heater in the basement helps alot, and no fire hazards .Also the infer red ( damn spell check )heaters work great and use little power. We just parked a 38 foot 5th wheel on our property to live in as we build. So it will be home for a few years and not move. So im digging a trench and installing pvc from the water source to the rig.
My wife and I are planning a 6 to 8 months trip west of the Mississippi. We live in Florida. I don’t dare show her this video as her rule is if there’s snow she’s doesn’t go. LOL. I really enjoy all your videos and will continue to watch him
Thank you! We are not read to go full time on the road so my wife and i are going to have to stay through a up state New York winter. All your tips and tricks are a god send because I was dreading the frozen hoses and freezing floors.
I dont know if you will ever see this, but..... how did your New York winter go? Just wondering because I am in NY and plan on going full time rv through all seasons.
Good tips - I will be living full time in my RV soon - In Wyoming. It can get -20, and the winter where I'm at can last up to 6 months. Maybe I'll learn a thing or two of my own and I'll share it with you guys.
Many parks like in Oklahoma where it hardly ever gets in the negatives, you're not allowed to be hooked up to the water when its way below freezing because you can break the frost free hydrant, since the water doesn't go back down the pipe and freezes. you have to use your storage tank. I honestly prefer using the storage tank when its super cold because if anything freezes and cracks, the worst leak you would have is how many gallons are in your tank, but shouldn't even have that issue because you will hear your water pump come on for no reason, letting you know there's a problem. My advice, use the water tank. That multi-sensor is Hawt!
I'm not sure if your doing this, but you should never leave the valve to your black tank open even if your are on full hook ups. If you do you will create a "poop pyramid " in your tank. The black tank is always directly under the toilet and you need liquid in the tank along with tank chemicals to help break down the solids so they drain out properly. I would recommend only draining the black tank when on full hook ups when the tank is at least half full so that most of the solids can flow out. Great video and winter camping tips.
Mark . . . while you are going north and up, remember even geese are smart enough to go south to warmer climates for the winter! The reason I can say that is that I spent two winters in Barrow Alaska, and as such, I don't have to do snow for the rest of my life. My daughter, on the other hand, does like winter (she was born and raised in Florida), so she thinks it is "AWESOME!". She may be the only reason we "visit" winter snow for a day or two . . . Thank you for sharing you adventures . . . BTW, the sliding hill looked like a LOT of fun!
Installing tank heaters on my black and grey tanks was super helpful. I live in my fith wheel camper year round in Wyoming and it gets as cold as 30 to 40 below 0 in the winter and the tank heaters keet everything working right.
@@dianelawler5166 I think I just got them off of Amazon. They are more or less a pad the has self adhesive on one side and they use 12 volts and draw around half a amp. They work ok and when you have issues with solids that are stubborn no joke poor a pepsi in there.
thankyou so much for awesome attitudes, im in Colorado with a Family of Four in a 3124 trailmanor. just got 2 30 lb'rs . now im skirting. we are lucky enough to have a spot for 6 months so i can insulate for the long haul. trying to find a cheap way to skirt.
Get a auto change over regulator for your propane. Most places sell propane by the gallon whether yo have 20 or 30 lb bottles. If you are only staying for a couple days fill your fresh water tank. If you are connected to power ceramic space heaters in the corners and on the floor. Leaving cupboard doors open helps prevent water line from freezing
You should put a dedicated plug for your heater that goes straight from an outlet to a plug in your water/ utility hook up compartment. So you can run the heater off of a line directly to outlet on the pole/box. That way you dont draw off of your main power supply
I use that camco heated hose in Northern Colorado and it works great, never froze inside that hose, the main worry is power going out but then again even heat strips will freeze if power goes out.
Kudos to that dude to take her regardless of her disabilities under his wing to provide a good life for her. Autism is something we all should come to love and accept.
Put a zip lock freezer bag over your 3 to 1 electrical cord adapter exposed connections, secured with electrical tape (zip facing down), to keep moister from entering the plug/receptacle and tripping the GFI on the RV pedestal.
Some good tips! We are in northern Idaho with a brand new 37 foot 5th Wheel. It's going to be home while we develop our acreage and start building a house in the spring. Winters here can be harsh. I'm already planning on some of your winter tips and just picked up a few more!
One thing I haven't heard discussed in winter camping videos is dietary needs/changes. In a cold weather environment and particularly when at higher altitudes, one needs more calories of dietary intake than when in warmer climates/lower altitudes. Going to the grocery store often isn't easy when you are winter camping. Plan ahead. In winter conditions, a person at 7000 ft will need significantly more calories than will a person at 1000 feet to do the same work. It wouldn't be good to run out of groceries in stormy cold conditions.
Great information. We live in Alaska and every year we hustle to put everything up for the winter. Maybe some of the information you are sharing will extend our season. Either way it is always interesting. Thank you!
You can use all four tanks by getting the two extras up off the ground and running a manifold system. Four tank system at once and it minimizes the refill times.
Packing snow along the skirt will insulate the bottom of the trailer just don't over do it that could lead to ripping the skirting. Snow will keep things at 32 degrees even if the out side temperatures are lower.
Your AZ fans are soooo excited for your new Grand Ginger to be joining the family! She looks like she will be a grand host for years to come!!! Since we are in the valley, we haven’t thought to RV in the snow because you just have non RV people who talk about the “what if’s” toooo much! I loved your tips and tricks and product ideas!!! Always helpful!!!! “Peace Out” as we call our family RV trips
You two are crazy!! We live in Alberta, rv in BC, let me tell you how cold spring & fall are here!! The one item that saves me? my electric blanket that I put over me while watching TV!! Also, electric blanket for our bed!! Happy camping!!
We put a heat tape on the sewer line and then just wrap it in a double insulated emergency blanket to keep the warmth in and snow out...with that I leave the grey water open all winter in CO, and we get down to -10* or lower in the coldest weeks. Never had it freeze this way. We just have to remember to close the tank if the power goes out.
Wow you made me almost want to go camping in the snow! Almost. I’m going to have to get that thermometer you have. Off to your Amazon store. Thanks for setting that up.
I have been contemplating to go live tiny, and for a good year or two, I have been browsing videos here and there. but with your content and links and amazon store, I have learned more in an hour than all those months of viewing. Thanks.
I think I'll just stay home in the winter. I live in California so it never gets that cold thank God. So I just sit out Dec and Jan, work on my rig, and take off again come Feb. Thanks for all the need tips though.
By BL- On our travel trailer the underneath is insulated and that makes a big difference. Would still get a skirt but my thought is to use additional foil foam board with the skirting. Ceramic heat lamp is maybe safer for water area. We do have a heater fireplace .🔥We stayed in our trailer and it was about 35 degrees outside with no skirt. With the furnace and fireplace heater it was warmer, like 76 degrees inside the trailer. 65 degrees would be too cold for me.
If you owned a Bigfoot trailer you would not have some of the winter camping issues you are experiencing. But the heated hose from Camco was a valuable tip thank you. Vent covers are a must and glad you made mention of them.
Loved the video. I wish I could RV. But I do not have the mulla. I enjoyed you for many reasons one of which is the fact that you language was clean. A big thing with me. Enjoy!
Do you guys camp full time? If so (if you don't mind me asking) what do you do for work that allows you the flexibility to do this? Also, a recommendation, for winter camping you should pickup a humidifier. Something that will allow you do set it to 35-40% humidity. This will make the trailer feel warmer while saving on fuel and will minimize expansion and contraction to the inside of the trainer. For example, you might find doors that don't fit properly in the winter, this would lessen the issue.
For those that think this is commercial... these are the products we found helpful for camping in the winter. We are not paid from these companies. You CAN winter camp without buying products, but it will not likely resemble a normal RVing experience. i.e. Water turned off or covering the windows is not how we enjoy living in our RV. These products help us live as normal as possible. For those that travel like us and are not appose buying products to make your experience easier, we hope you found this helpful.
Sham Wow!
Keep Your Daydream great videos!
Don't even worry about what negative people say. Your Vlogs are AWESOME and have given me a ton of helpful information. The Tech makes it even better. You rock, keep it up!!
My who;e Family watches and we love you guys. Wish i could afford the ez snap
There are often different kits for high altitude propane burning operation, at least for residential appliances (thinner air requires different air-gas ratios). Not sure about RV gear, but maybe something to look into for maximum fuel efficiency when staying in the mountains.
As a tip what we have done is screw plastic closet rosettes in our shower so we can put a removable wood dowel in like a closet. When you come in with wet jackets or clothes we hang them in there so when they drip water its in the shower instead of on your floor. When your done drying we remove the pole and store it in one of the closets. You can also trapeze 2 or 3 poles with 550 cord to increase the hanging capacity. One other thing is the all thread rod for your propane tanks is 1/2 inch especially with the taller 7 gallon tanks.
This is the best idea I've heard. This would good for 5 people all year round. Thanks!
@@KeepYourDaydream If your rig has heat ducting in the bathroom it should act like one big boot dryer. So remember to keep the bathroom door closed ;-)
OR get an extendable shower clothesline
Another good tip to keep the water supply from freezing just let the water on the cold side trickle just a little bit inside and that will help. I have been camping in 0 degrees f with no heat tape or anything and never had any problems. Just wanted to give my tip.
HI first time winter camper. Thanks what exactly do you do? Just a slow trickle? What about the black and gray water?
I have been using Pirit heated hoses on my rigs since 2011 and they have performed beautifully through snowmageddon, ice ice baby, temps below freezing sustained 24 hours a day for more than a week at a time and lots and lots of cold. They have never let me down or leaked. Highly recommend. 2 tips for Pirit hoses...1). Make sure the sensor is outside, not inside of the rig or skirting and 2). Don't let it coil onto itself. I use a small piece of foam pipe insulation if there's a spot where it coils back on itself to keep it from touching which can throw the heating off in the hose. Had the same hose since 2011 and still working perfectly this winter. :)
Here's the toip everyone needs to know. I took out my furnace and heat my 37 camio with a diesel furnace. 130 degrees at the vents and 2/3 cheaper than propane.i was blowing threw a 30 pound tank is 3 days. No more. Diesel furnace is no smell no noise. When it hits 25 below...the diesel warms the coach well.
Wow! I’ll have to look into this! Thank you!
My wife and I are great fans of your videos and you have helped us decide to hit the road. We are putting the house up for sale soon. Thanks so much for the great content.
Make a back-up plan for a power failure. You have a gen but can it run everything? For how long? If you lose power for a few days you will need to dump your fresh water tank and hot water heater before the access points freeze. If you can not dump your grey/black tank, add salt(lots of salt - mixed into solution) into each tank.
Looks like a great time. Enjoy yourselves.
Most anywhere you go "can" freeze but in North Louisiana we are able to survive in an RV without many problems. I have my water hose insulated with foam pipe insulation and all that is fully enclosed in PVC to protect it from the elements. I ran an extra extension cord from the breaker as well. I can run three electric heaters with no problems. Great tips. Thanks for sharing.
Great stuff!! Thanks for the info. One thing you might consider is adding something between your new slide out awning and the slide itself. Some folks have done DIY stuff with PVC pipe/elbows. The idea is to add a bit of an lift to the slide-topper so water runs off vs. pooling. Will also keep heavy snow from stretching you topper cover (go ahead...don't ask me WHY I know this Dooh!!!)
Last bit of advice...when you leave and are bringing in the slide out, make sure ALL the snow off the top of your slides. The toppers help keep snow/ice off, but ice will slide right passed your rubber seals, that normally wipe water away. Then the ice melts during travel...and you have a big ole mess inside the RV (again...don't ask me WHY I know this either. :) )
By BL- We are actually thinking of put something like flaps on the slide awning to keep rain from blowing under the awning.
Kinda funny (not) we had a small amount of water on the floor after we had the awning installed. With slide in or out, didn't leak before.
If you spend a lot of time in colder climates then 12v electric tank heaters/pads are worth the upgrade. You can turn them on at your panel and you don't need to use your furnace and propane as much and also have your fire place or electric heater inside to also save propane. I know in Rockwood's the elbows on your back and gray tanks are heated as well. They are rated to -11 degrees.great video, all your videos are very informative about a product or the place you are at. Can't wait for next weekend's post.
Every winter we go on a winter adventure up in the wilds of northern ontario up near Lake Superior. We sled everything in and live in canvas tents with stoves in them. Our favorite spot is Lake Kagiano which is a1.5 hour drive from Manitouwadge on logging roads then a 4 hour sled trip in to the lake. We have a landing made at the dam and that's where we camp. The secret to winter camping is to stay dry and dont over dress so you sweat,as that is when you can get cold. We have a Bonfire burning 24/7 for a week. We cook all our food on the fire and even have a outdoor oven made out of brick for making home made bread and biscuits.The fishing is awesome fresh pickerel every day. Our one rule is ,,,NO CELL PHONES! We let the Ministry and OPP know where we are for safety reasons.We do have one phone but it is used for emergency only! On our trip last year there was a pack of timber wolves eyeing us when we were ice fishing.The stars at night are unbelievable and in Feb we see the Northern lights dance across the sky...it's awesome...HAPPY CAMPING EVERYONE! I Had to edit for spelling mistakes...lol
After a week of winter camping boondocking, dry camping on the Grand Mesa National Forest in Colorado. Temperatures were from 0-40s in the days, altitude was 1000 feet. One thing people do not realize when the sun goes down the thin air gets colder quickly. A few tips I found were to isolate and turn off outdoor faucet to avoid freeze up. I was even able to add more insulation behind the shower wall to help prevent freeze up. We learned to open our faucets with the pump off to prevent water line freeze up. we had one hotwater line freeze on us. we had to run the generator all night to supply power the furnace. We were warm and very comfortable for the week. Of course our camper (not going into brands) is winter rated, has the ducted holding tank heater, in floor heat an vent covers. We also would open the bathroom door and bathroom sink cabinets to allow for warm air.
Like electric infloor heat under tile or some sort of hot water infloor heat??
Pretty cold where you are, Brrrrrrrr. The one thing that I would do differently is use the potable water system, using the furnace will keep the area around your tanks from freezing. If the trailer is fitted with good protection for the tanks underneath then use that for your water supply. Next keep the waste tank valves open and don’t close them as they will freeze in that kind of temperature and you dont want a split waste tank. Just make sure you use abit more water in flushing the solids from the black tank, Provided that you dont have a long discharge pipe between the tank and waste valve. The Trailer I live in is a 1988 Prowler Regal and I live in it full time 365 days .
I would advise people that are looking at buying an RV and plan to winter camp, to buy an RV with the winter package. This is different from different companies, but should include better insulation, and at a minimum the tanks being up and covered with insulation. It may also include all the water lines being run next to the heating vents to keep them from freezing.
We have a Keystone that has the winter package, it also includes a 30K BTU heater. We have done just fine with it. Only one time had our water freeze and it was because we left and forgot to check the propane and it ran out. Whoops. It only took about 30 min and we were back in action.
We also use the water supply hose that is heated, not the heat tape. Works great, love it.
We also do not use any electric heat, propane only and we have a 100lb tank that I go get filled and 4 20lb tanks for back ups.
We also do not have skirts, but if the winter was going to last any longer, we would get them.
My trailer has a decal the reads "Extreme Thermal Package". I had to drop the belly to access the plumbing due to a leak and I saw no insulation at all. The belly was just corrugated plastic 1/8" thick. none of the sewer or water lines had any insulation on them at all. My 5th wheel trailer is a Crusader by Forest River. I think they are mis-representing their product unless somehow my particular trailer was built on a Friday afternoon.
Forest River Please Respond!
Exactly what I dont have in my Sprinter Class B. Can we add a winter package as a retrofit?
I don't know about your trailer but we added spray foam insulation to a lot of places on ours and sprayfoamed the tanks. Skirting is a must and I am going to look at the EZ Snap RV Skirt they used since my home made system isn't nearly as easy to set up. My biggest concern is that it stays flexible at -20C (-5F) so we can take it down and store it without having to warm it up. -20 is about the lowest we will go RVing. Anything colder and it's too hard on the trailer.
Our new Cherokee Atric Wolf has the plumbing enclosed in a compartment that gets heat from the rig's heater so no skirt for us. We have the full Extreme Cold package on it.
@@bluelionsage99 I pick my Cherokee Arctic Wolf 5er up next weekend. Are you loving it? New RVer so binging on videos. (Thank you KYD)
Thanks, for the video! You provided some excellent advice! Subscribed! My partner and I are working towards full-time RVing and one idea I had to address the need for heat in storage compartments and utility bays is reptile tank heat mats. They typically come with a thermostat and are available in sizes ranging from 5 watts to over 100 watts. I think these would be ideal to position in compartments like the one you used the 40 watt light bulb. The mats are going to evenly distribute the heat better than a simple light bulb that might be hot enough to melt something. And, it will lay flat, so it takes up very little room, meaning it can stay in there all the time and you just plug it in or turn it on, if it's on a switch, whenever you need it. I intend to use these mats under our lithium batteries that should never be charged below freezing. I also had the idea of installing an aquarium heater in our fresh water tank and our gray water tank to keep them above freezing. They're going to draw little power, are thermostatically controlled, and designed to be immersed in water indefinitely. Let me know what you think of these ideas - because, we have NO experience, yet!
Waterbed. Heater works too
I'm not going to have the money to do all that maybe after I get working I will but people around here in the RV park where I live put wood around theirs I actually thought I would do one better I'm going to take the wood that I buy to put around my camper cuz I'm going to be staying here for the winter the whole winter and I'm going to staple cardboard on inside of the wood to act as extra insulation and then before I actually put the wood up against my camper I'm going to wrap tarp around it for even more insulation mind you it won't be as pretty as what yours is but since I'm still working and not retired and don't have extra income coming in and my partner passed away 2 years ago I am going to be doing a lot of this by myself but I love your ideas
Should use a 90 degree hose connector when using the Camco heated water hose. You can purchase one at Wal-Mart. Otherwise you will put a strain on you hose connector leading into your trailer causing leaks and ice forming. I found this out last winter when I took my new trailer out in January. Also wrap heat tape around your sewer lines tho prevent the valves from freezing closed.
Your vids just keep getting better and better. Been RVing for a long time and will always be learning. Thank you for you stellar editing, explaining, and sharing. Your family's enthusiasm for life shines through each week.
Watching this the day after my enclosed lines froze at 10 degrees outside - Salem Hemisphere MB370 . . . Wish I'd seen you before the deep freeze here in NM. Trying to get the heater in to the bay to heat up the tank area - and its working! Little mini personal space heater!
I went thru the “not having water” for the past 2 days. Good thing i stocked up on bottled water. I’m new to RV life and didn’t think to insulate my hose
A couple of additional things that I learned over the years of winter camping in extreme cold.
My RV has an outside shower, I stuff insulation inside the shower door, also, inside the RV it helps to keep your inside cabinet and pantry/closet doors open so warmth can get in, especially anywhere pipes run. As far as space heaters is concerned, I have found that using 4 heaters spaced throughout the camper all running on low is better than 2 heaters running on high. For my sewer hose, in the winter I run a piece of heat tape along the bottom, a hose support that has a solid bottom helps with this, then if it’s extremely cold I will also lay an insulated blanket over the top. If it is extremely cold you can cut some of that insulation board and put inside your windows. I have also cut pieces of the 2” thick insulation board and put on top of my slide, under the slide topper.
Great advice
The Camco heated water hose is amazing, we just use it all year now. Keep cool water cool.
Heated tape on the Park Faucet is a must. Covering the vents is clever. We lived through the TX Freeze of 2021 without the Skirt. Ordering the Skirt today! Even though we have Thermal Paine windows. I did blue painters tape the shades to the frame to prevent any infiltration loss.
We aren't traveling right now because we are renovating the camper, but it is amazing how much of a difference one space heater can make. Some of them can run off of only 700 Watts of power too.
Another great video! Please be careful with the multiple electric heaters and heat lamp plugged in at the same time. My Dad plugged in a heat lamp to keep the well motor from freezing. In the end wires were burnt, and an electical fire started quickly.
When we purchased our trailer it came with a winter Canadian package. We will be purchasing chains for truck just to be safe when traveling on ice up north.
Have fun in the snow, and stay warm 😊
Dont forget your chains for trailer too. Safe travels
With the way life is today, Stock Market Crash, Hurricane Katrina, Mortgage Crash, and now with Covid, i sometime casually think about having a nice small camper to live out of and not have to worry about rent or a mortgage anymore. I can't afford a camper but if i could, i would think seriously about this kind of life.
Another advantage of the fully threaded 3/8" shaft for the propane tanks is that it can be screwed down past the tongue a few inches and secured with a lock nut so the wing nut does not have to be tightened as far, plus you can drill a hole in the wing nut and the cross bar or regulator mount and use a long shaft pad lock to prevent tank theft.
You guys are like the best married couple I've ever seen doing these rv camper videos
we upgraded from a wrapped hose to the heated one like this from a camping retail store. SOOO glad I got it. definitely worth the investment!
Very good video guys! Got one addition for ya. Put your sewer hose in a cheap gutter from home depot etc. Add a heat strip and duck tape it. Use rocks or cinder blocks to support it at an angle and Presto. Winter sewer happiness! Also just a heat light works under rigs saving el mula, I'm sure theres more also!
We do this every winter in the ice castle fish houses: Lake of the Woods, MN at -35* many weekends on the ice, fishing. Our rigs are arctic insulated and drop to the ground. I love our space heater! Keep a hair dryer to heat up any components that don’t work outside in that weather (like jacks or diesel engines). Wheel skirts are important for normal rigs, and banking is necessary for ice houses (shoveling snow to bank the sides to seal and insulate). Organization for winter gear 👍🏼 Boot trays and absorbent rugs for tracked in snow. Shovels, heater blankets for exterior mounted propane tanks, fans to prevent windows and doors from frosting up.
By BL- saw a remark about getting an RV. If you love big bathrooms ?? Check out the Intrepid Travel Trailer 260 by Riverside Mfg. Large rear bathroom with a huge 🚿 shower. Just make sure your RV dealer really does a check for prepping the trailer. Glen who is a great RV repairman had to install 2 vents on either side of heater fireplace for air flow, add a vent for air flow for furnace, add a screw to bottom of kitchen cabinet, add a block to hold up bathroom shelf, the dining table top had to short of screws and came off, bezel in shower leaked, had to adjust refrigerator door wouldn't open all the way, tape underneath for tin door came loose, TV antenna has a hard time picking up channels for some reason by our house, but other than that it is a great trailer. Just make sure it really is checked out and get little defects fixed. The RV dealer was really good about fixing everything.
Thanks for the video! One thing important to point out is that all of the heating elements (hear tape and probe) keeping water from freezing in the doghouse are tied to the 20amp on the pedestal. Plugging in anything to the GFI on the pedestal runs serious risk of tripping that breaker and triggering a freeze up in park infrastructure. At Tiger Run you are liable for any damage to water infrastructure if you utilize the pedestal GFI.
I don't know if it has already been said, too many comments to read, but we use the Pirit heated hose and it is high quality kit. We are wintering in Grand Junction CO and have not had any issues with this line (low teens and single digits temps). The Park's supply line froze up but our system has been trouble free. As for heat tape on a regular flexible hose: that tape gets pretty hot, hot enough to release compounds from the hose into your drinking water. Be careful.
You guys are awesome and I always learn something from y'all.
A benefit or problem depending on your outlook but the (probably) 20 amp breaker for the 110 volt you are using is rated for 20 amps at a set temperature around 68 or 72 degrees. Since it is zero or colder all of the heat that would normally build up and trip the breaker is dissipated by the wind and cold air. So it is very easy to get over 20 amps draw on the breaker and it does not trip. Keeping as much of your extension cord in the environment the breaker is in would be best to reduce as much heat from resistance in it. The other issue is that 110 volt is coming from the same feed as your 30 amp or off of one leg of the 50 amp and depending on how that was done you could get a low voltage situation. Glad you stayed warm. talk to people in the trailer home industry for great tips on getting your camper ready for winter they get homes ready for winter all the time.
One thing that I wanted to share about winter camping and it may not be of interest to RVers with heaters but as a Boycott growing up I loved winter camping in the snow. It is because I new haw to keep warm in sub below temperatures. Remember the number one thing to keeping warm is to keep dry. So b4 go to sleep at night you strip down and get your dry towel out and dry off your body moisture. In between your toes and where you sweat. Then you dress into your dry clothes for the next day. Your body will have a chance to keep warm with out being cooled down with your moisture.
Hi Marc, We live in the low country of South Carolina and live full time in a 30ft travel trailer . When we have cold weather I just leave the water running in the shower. All you need s a small drip, just enough to keep the line from freezing. I look forward to your videos each weekend. Keep up the good work.Wta
Great for SC and worked when I lived in TX. But need more than this when in KS as I am now.
We love our table top dehumidifier when all closed in and even if we’re not, the air is noticeable better
Living in Florida I'm the last one you should listen to on cold weather camping. But one tip I've heard of is always open your cabinet doors so the heat gets to the outer wall areas. This makes the difference I've heard from frozen water pumps and pipes many times even in Truck Campers also. Stay warm all. bill in Florida
Interesting and enjoyable video. We have stayed at Tiger Run during warmer months. It is a wonderful place to stay and very near to Breckenridge. In the interest of electrical safety, I recommend that any electrical devices that are used outside of the RV be connected to a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) protected outlet. This is especially important when the ground is wet or snow-covered. Also, many, if not most, space heater manufacturers specifically state in their user instructions not to power the heater through an extension cord. It would be extension best to power the space heater(s) from outlet(s) inside the RV. Also, the adapter that expands the number of outlets that are available at the pedestal does not increase the amount of electrical current that is available from the pedestal. The conventional/duplex outlets that are on most campground pedestals are rated at 20 Amps. If you are going to use an outlet expander and want to be able to use the full amount of electrical current, then be sure to get an outlet expander that is rated at 20 Amps. Safe travels.
Great video!! We just experienced 2 degrees in Colorado last week with our 5th wheel. Our water pump froze for 2 days....no bueno. We used space heater and fireplace for warmth to save propane at night. Dressing in layers and having proper shoes/gloves are important.
Put a couple heated walkway mats under your camper to keep the undercarriage even warmer.
Put that water line with heat tape inside PCV household sewer pipe not glued just fit together.
Very informative. I've put off winter camping for 2 yrs because of the unknown. I'm inching closure to the day after watching this video.
We are new RVers. We bought our little RV in October and LOVE it! We camped Dec. 23- 27, 2019. It was warm, 50s. But that was winter camping :) We live in Central IL and were lucky to get the nice weather. When you come through IL, let us know. Weldon Springs is a great place to camp. Lots of history and fun to be had.
As for space heaters, you might want to try one of those oil-filled radiant type heaters. They're quiet and they put out a lot of heat.
Yea them radiator heaters what we call them work greag..Bulky and heavy would be only down side...
Roll Tide
I have found dinky inexpensive fan space heaters to be far superior to oil radiators "ceramic" (such a gimmick) and heat dishes (danger Will Robbins!) The truth of the matter is a watt is a watt pretty much when it comes to ELECTRIC heaters. A "hairdryer style" heater circulates the heat well (duh there is a fan) radiators are nice to sit by, but the heat pretty much just goes up. The heat dish longs to start a fire and shoots laser beam heat at you. The small plastic fan heaters stow away well. Be sure to get one with a thermostat and a cut off for when you inevitably knock it over.
Try a radiator heater under the skirt. In-laws up in Alberta have to do that in the minus 30-40 C ~40F outside to thaw the water tanks and keep em thawed.
@@wyocoyotewyocoyote9007 One of the very small desk type fans sitting behind the radiator works great. It doesn't blow so hard that the air cools off but it does blow just enough to make a huge difference. Mine is about 4 or 5 inched I'd say. Very small, very quiet
By BL- we have a radiator and if you have a small fan blowing towards the heater it circulates the heat.
The things we did with our Cougar, to stay all winter in Minnesota. ( 6 weeks of -10 to -25 ) I cut 2 access holes in the bottom, 1 at the connection of the black and grey tank, the other under the sink area. I put a 1500w heater at both location with the stat stet on the lowest setting. I then cover the entire bottom with 2" foam panels, holding them in place with ratchet straps from frame to frame. PS... In the spring we pulled out with them still in place ( to much mud and snow to remove) and did not remove them till we got to our next job, 1,200 miles away. 3rd. We did not use city water. We picked up a 40 gal tank and 110v transfer pump, from harbor freight ( apx 125.00 total including hoses and fittings.) Once a week, I would put the tank on the tail gate and fill it from the laundry room, then transfer to the rigs water tank. ( about 1.5 hrs max ) Yes, I had a filter in the transfer hose. We lost water once, the first time it went to -15, so I added a 40 watt drop light in the compartment that has the water pump. I ran both outside heaters from the park box. Most boxes only have 1 20 amp outlet, 3000w is to much, so I found an adapter to go from 30 amp to 20 amp and used to for my second heater. The park was $700.00 a mouth and included ele. The second time we did this, was last winter in western NY ( 10 to -20 ) with zero issues. That park was $500.00 for the whole winter plus ele. We stayed 5 months and paid $1,400.00 for ele. As there was water 80' away I just got 2 collapsible hoses and filled tanks in 30 mins. Both winters 70 was not a problem for inside temps.. Ele blanket for sure...LOL
Great info y'all. To me, winter camping is awesome. Much easier to get warm than to try to stay cool. It's hard to camp in the summer in Texas when it's 90 degrees at bedtime :-) Safe travels
Your snow-covered chairs are true signs of your eternal optimism.
lol
Welcome to my world :-) as I've mentioned before my manager moved into a fifth wheel and he's been doing great. We sell heated hose and its working great. We took the heated hose and taped it to the bottom of sewer hose so it heats both. Another great thing is restless propane heaters. They sip propane and no electricity. Enjoy
Best RV winterizing video I've seen and I've been looking non-stop for 2 days on UA-cam
Hi there, and greetings from the Carriboo up here in Canada. Well I live full time in a 29 ft Regal . A 1988 model trailer. Up here this winter we got to -42.6 Celsius. One tip for you is that Propane will be a problem as it needs warmth to boil, and in -36.6 to where we got to -42.6 you will need a way to keep your bottles abit warmer. A heat blanket that wraps around the tank called a Power blanket will be a great asset, it plugs into a standard power plug and draws only 1 amp which is equal to 120 watts.
Being in that kinda cold air the regulator will need to be kept from freezing to. Another thing to take care of is the R.V batteries need to be kept out of the cold as they too will lose capacity of charge.Another thing that will stop working is your RV Fridge, - because it has a water liquid ammonia mix. in - 30 degree Celsius or colder it will stop circulating due to the water content in the cooling unit. You can help by insulating the access door and keeping as much draft out as you can...
All well and good for you youngsters. As soon as I get my rig, I'm heading to a warmer climate. This 71er don;t do cold.
One thing I would add to winter camping necessities, flannel sheets for the bed. They make a huge difference! 😀
Yes, we got those for Tori. Why didn't we get them!?! TRISH???
If you prefer smooth but still want warm, fleece sheets are also great.
I'm an electric blanket fan...we can keep the heat lower and be plenty warm
Here's another one that I learned the hard way. Don't forget to pour some camper anti-freeze down your drains if you're going to let the interior of your rig drop below freezing.
Is that safe?
Your videos are SO informative and helpful !! I'm planning on becoming a full-time RVer and You have answered so many questions for me and this topic was at the top of my list so THANK YOU VERY MUCH and keep up the excellent advice !
Great information. I do not think I am as brave as you two are. While I live in snow country , I do not think I want to pull a trailer through the snow and ice. Enjoy and stay safe.
Skirt the trailer with minimum 1.5" insulation panels and run a quality heater underneath the trailer. Electric space heaters will help keep the trailer warm once the furnace has finished heating. That little "fireplace" works great for this. Make sure your extension cords are 10 gauge or so, or they'll heat up and potentially cause a fire.
You guys are doing so good, way better than when a 4-WAY was a new thing. Way to go.
going winter camping for the first time and was looking for some winterizing tips and found your video. after about 10 minutes i was a subscriber. great tips i purchased some of the items showcased in the video. i feel i will be a little more prepared and my family will enjoy winter camping a little more so we can do it more often..... not only was the video useful but the comments also where great and useful also.....
Excellent video on winter dream camping. (My dream). I will definitely acquire the skirt and many other items listed here. Above all I have to super plug “Carefree of Colorado” they hit the home run out of the park for to no three old folks. Myself, my wife and our yesteryear camper. We were missing an awning arm, I lurched it online and I emailed carefree asking to rush ship it. They contacted me, cancelled my order and then shipped the part overnight to me. The error purchase I originally made with the new awning want even their responsibility yet they went the extra “many miles”. I’ll never forget that gesture and absolute product support. I can only hope that other companies and consumers can purchase from them and learn from them. As Tina once sung it; “Simply The Best”!
You're so brave!! We were at Tiger Run in August for ATV trails east of Breck. I am sure you've been told to watch the weather when you decide to go through the pass on I70 to Denver. Road conditions change so fast up there. We ski at Breck all the time. Enjoy your time. Amy
I watched this a few years ago, before I got my RV. Now, I just got moved in and its the dead of winter. It's one thing watching the video, and another thing when you actually get to do it. Thank you for this great winter guide. :)
An oil filled heater in the basement helps alot, and no fire hazards .Also the infer red ( damn spell check )heaters work great and use little power.
We just parked a 38 foot 5th wheel on our property to live in as we build. So it will be home for a few years and not move. So im digging a trench and installing pvc from the water source to the rig.
My wife and I are planning a 6 to 8 months trip west of the Mississippi. We live in Florida. I don’t dare show her this video as her rule is if there’s snow she’s doesn’t go. LOL. I really enjoy all your videos and will continue to watch him
Thank you! We are not read to go full time on the road so my wife and i are going to have to stay through a up state New York winter. All your tips and tricks are a god send because I was dreading the frozen hoses and freezing floors.
I dont know if you will ever see this, but..... how did your New York winter go? Just wondering because I am in NY and plan on going full time rv through all seasons.
Same would love to hear how NY went!
Thanks for making this video! Seems like most RVers are scared of snow but it’s a big part of what I want to do when I go full time.
Good tips - I will be living full time in my RV soon - In Wyoming. It can get -20, and the winter where I'm at can last up to 6 months. Maybe I'll learn a thing or two of my own and I'll share it with you guys.
Many parks like in Oklahoma where it hardly ever gets in the negatives, you're not allowed to be hooked up to the water when its way below freezing because you can break the frost free hydrant, since the water doesn't go back down the pipe and freezes. you have to use your storage tank. I honestly prefer using the storage tank when its super cold because if anything freezes and cracks, the worst leak you would have is how many gallons are in your tank, but shouldn't even have that issue because you will hear your water pump come on for no reason, letting you know there's a problem. My advice, use the water tank.
That multi-sensor is Hawt!
I'm not sure if your doing this, but you should never leave the valve to your black tank open even if your are on full hook ups. If you do you will create a "poop pyramid " in your tank. The black tank is always directly under the toilet and you need liquid in the tank along with tank chemicals to help break down the solids so they drain out properly. I would recommend only draining the black tank when on full hook ups when the tank is at least half full so that most of the solids can flow out. Great video and winter camping tips.
Mark . . . while you are going north and up, remember even geese are smart enough to go south to warmer climates for the winter! The reason I can say that is that I spent two winters in Barrow Alaska, and as such, I don't have to do snow for the rest of my life.
My daughter, on the other hand, does like winter (she was born and raised in Florida), so she thinks it is "AWESOME!". She may be the only reason we "visit" winter snow for a day or two . . . Thank you for sharing you adventures . . . BTW, the sliding hill looked like a LOT of fun!
Jonathan Hawes 😂😂
Bring your daughter for a visit to Canada. We have weird but wonderful ways to enjoy winter.
Installing tank heaters on my black and grey tanks was super helpful. I live in my fith wheel camper year round in Wyoming and it gets as cold as 30 to 40 below 0 in the winter and the tank heaters keet everything working right.
Do your tank heaters run off propane or electric?
Where did u get your heaters for your black tank
@@dianelawler5166 I think I just got them off of Amazon. They are more or less a pad the has self adhesive on one side and they use 12 volts and draw around half a amp. They work ok and when you have issues with solids that are stubborn no joke poor a pepsi in there.
thankyou so much for awesome attitudes, im in Colorado with a Family of Four in a 3124 trailmanor. just got 2 30 lb'rs . now im skirting. we are lucky enough to have a spot for 6 months so i can insulate for the long haul. trying to find a cheap way to skirt.
Get a auto change over regulator for your propane. Most places sell propane by the gallon whether yo have 20 or 30 lb bottles.
If you are only staying for a couple days fill your fresh water tank.
If you are connected to power ceramic space heaters in the corners and on the floor.
Leaving cupboard doors open helps prevent water line from freezing
You should put a dedicated plug for your heater that goes straight from an outlet to a plug in your water/ utility hook up compartment. So you can run the heater off of a line directly to outlet on the pole/box. That way you dont draw off of your main power supply
I use that camco heated hose in Northern Colorado and it works great, never froze inside that hose, the main worry is power going out but then again even heat strips will freeze if power goes out.
As newbee full timers this will be our first winter in New England, thanks for the info! Stay warm!
Kudos to that dude to take her regardless of her disabilities under his wing to provide a good life for her. Autism is something we all should come to love and accept.
Rv toppers are great in the piney woods, freekin pine needles get everywhere lol... Great video guys, stay warm
Side skirts are great. We would also keep a halogen light underneath to keep tanks and lines from freezing
Put a zip lock freezer bag over your 3 to 1 electrical cord adapter exposed connections, secured with electrical tape (zip facing down), to keep moister from entering the plug/receptacle and tripping the GFI on the RV pedestal.
Some good tips! We are in northern Idaho with a brand new 37 foot 5th Wheel. It's going to be home while we develop our acreage and start building a house in the spring. Winters here can be harsh. I'm already planning on some of your winter tips and just picked up a few more!
One thing I haven't heard discussed in winter camping videos is dietary needs/changes. In a cold weather environment and particularly when at higher altitudes, one needs more calories of dietary intake than when in warmer climates/lower altitudes. Going to the grocery store often isn't easy when you are winter camping. Plan ahead. In winter conditions, a person at 7000 ft will need significantly more calories than will a person at 1000 feet to do the same work. It wouldn't be good to run out of groceries in stormy cold conditions.
Great information. We live in Alaska and every year we hustle to put everything up for the winter. Maybe some of the information you are sharing will extend our season. Either way it is always interesting. Thank you!
You can use all four tanks by getting the two extras up off the ground and running a manifold system. Four tank system at once and it minimizes the refill times.
Winter camping sounds great! I just need to get the wife and kids onboard. Love your show!
Packing snow along the skirt will insulate the bottom of the trailer just don't over do it that could lead to ripping the skirting. Snow will keep things at 32 degrees even if the out side temperatures are lower.
A dehumidifier is a must for full timing especially in the winter months
Your AZ fans are soooo excited for your new Grand Ginger to be joining the family! She looks like she will be a grand host for years to come!!!
Since we are in the valley, we haven’t thought to RV in the snow because you just have non RV people who talk about the “what if’s” toooo much! I loved your tips and tricks and product ideas!!! Always helpful!!!! “Peace Out” as we call our family RV trips
You two are crazy!! We live in Alberta, rv in BC, let me tell you how cold spring & fall are here!! The one item that saves me? my electric blanket that I put over me while watching TV!! Also, electric blanket for our bed!! Happy camping!!
We put a heat tape on the sewer line and then just wrap it in a double insulated emergency blanket to keep the warmth in and snow out...with that I leave the grey water open all winter in CO, and we get down to -10* or lower in the coldest weeks. Never had it freeze this way. We just have to remember to close the tank if the power goes out.
That was a very informative video, but it was also "fun" at the same time! My wife and I enjoy watching your videos each week. Thanks a bunch!
This is by far the most useful winter RVing video I've seen. Thank you, I'm bookmarking it to refer back to!
Wow you made me almost want to go camping in the snow! Almost.
I’m going to have to get that thermometer you have. Off to your Amazon store. Thanks for setting that up.
:)
I have been contemplating to go live tiny, and for a good year or two, I have been browsing videos here and there. but with your content and links and amazon store, I have learned more in an hour than all those months of viewing. Thanks.
I think I'll just stay home in the winter. I live in California so it never gets that cold thank God. So I just sit out Dec and Jan, work on my rig, and take off again come Feb. Thanks for all the need tips though.
By BL- On our travel trailer the underneath is insulated and that makes a big difference. Would still get a skirt but my thought is to use additional foil foam board with the skirting. Ceramic heat lamp is maybe safer for water area. We do have a heater fireplace .🔥We stayed in our trailer and it was about 35 degrees outside with no skirt. With the furnace and fireplace heater it was warmer, like 76 degrees inside the trailer. 65 degrees would be too cold for me.
You need to stay in Colorful Colorado in the summertime...you will love it. Unless of course you are skiing!!
If you owned a Bigfoot trailer you would not have some of the winter camping issues you are experiencing. But the heated hose from Camco was a valuable tip thank you. Vent covers are a must and glad you made mention of them.
Loved the video. I wish I could RV. But I do not have the mulla. I enjoyed you for many reasons one of which is the fact that you language was clean. A big thing with me. Enjoy!
We used same hose All Winter last year in Colorado still good and will be using it again this year. Pretty good hose worth the $$
Do you guys camp full time? If so (if you don't mind me asking) what do you do for work that allows you the flexibility to do this? Also, a recommendation, for winter camping you should pickup a humidifier. Something that will allow you do set it to 35-40% humidity. This will make the trailer feel warmer while saving on fuel and will minimize expansion and contraction to the inside of the trainer. For example, you might find doors that don't fit properly in the winter, this would lessen the issue.
You meant DE-HUMIDIFIER. Also a small fan running keeps that moist air moving helps efficient system Less work for your de-humidifier